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Birds of Williamson County TX Seen at Scurlock Farms in Texas Hill Country

April 17, 2017 by Sheron Scurlock 1 Comment

Many avid bird watchers have stayed with us at Scurlock Farms.

They have visited to see as many birds of Williamson County as possible.  2/3 of all birds seen in Texas are seen in Williamson County.  We are located in the beautiful Texas Hill Country, and so far, all have seen a lifer – a bird they had never seen in person before!

I was giving a tour to a couple from Kansas when she noticed something fluttering in the dried dusty area where we were going to pass through a gate.  It was a Roadrunner taking a dirt bath!  She was so excited as she had never seen one.  Last week while giving a couple a tour around the farm, a Roadrunner ran, then flew across the road right in front of us.  The woman was from Ukraine and she was very excited to see the Roadrunner as she had never seen one!  Yesterday, again giving a tour, this time to a young family from Grand Cayman, the young mother also saw a Roadrunner as it ran into the pasture.  A Roadrunner nesting near Indian Bluff would pause for photos for a family from Canada as they returned home!

The Roadrunners are nesting around the farm now and I see one every time I go up or down the drive.  When they are feeding their babies, they will be up and down the drive constantly, chasing bugs and lizards.

This baby Roadrunner fell out of his nest too early.  The nest was in a large cedar tree near Indian Bluff.  We tried to reach the nest in a cedar tree near Indian Bluff with our tallest extension ladder, but could not.  At dusk the mother Roadrunner was leading the baby into heavy brush inside the pasture fence.  I hope the baby made it!

The terrain of Scurlock Farms lends itself to seeing many varied species of birds.

The top pasture is prairie; we have heavily wooded bluffs and heavily wooded acreage with many dead snags for woodpeckers, owls and squirrels to nest in; a 20 acre pecan orchard; and river bottom wetlands.

I have had guests visit Scurlock Farms from Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio that have enjoyed just sitting under the trees, reading a book and listening to the many different song birds and the owls in the evening.  Some didn’t even care what kind of bird it was.  They were just enjoying the peace and serenity as they listened to the birds.  I get the impression that folks from the larger cities are really able to relax and unwind at Scurlock Farms.  It is a perfect place to simply chill out, relax and de-stress from busy, hectic schedules.

Great photos of birds of Williams County here!

A pair of Scissor-tails at Scurlock Farms was very unhappy with this pair of Vultures

Beautiful Scissor-tail Flycatcher

We have several pair of Scissor-tail Flycatchers that nest around Scurlock Farms each year.  For several years, one pair built a nest on a metal platform on the top of Dan’s 55′ tower.  Another couple of pair make their nests near Rocky Overlook.  They do not like it when I do landscaping near where they are nesting.

The Scissor-tail Flycatchers are very vocal in their displeasure and luckily have never dive-bombed me the way they did the Vultures!!  These are beautiful, graceful birds, and they eat a lot of mosquitoes and other flying insects.

The Mockingbird is the state bird of Texas and there are many of them on the farm.  One lives in a pyracantha bush at the end of the drive near the farm entrance.  Another nests in one of the trees in my front yard, and during the spring and summer, both are singing constantly!

Brave Mockingbird 5′ from me as I worked in a pasture

Dan and I were working picking up the remains of a burned brush pile early in the spring, and this little guy was totally unafraid of us!  He visited us several times.

Mockingbirds are territorial and one way they “mark” their  territory is to constantly sing a repertoire of songs.  The one at the end of the drive will sit on the top of a telephone pole near the entrance, fly a few feet into the air, then back down to the pole, all the while singing!  During the winter he sits in the pyracantha bush and sings away.  The grandchildren love seeing and hearing him in the mornings as they wait on the school bus.  He is a ball of fluff on cold days and is beautiful sitting on the end of a branch among the red berries.

 

Now you see him, now you don’t!  Whoops, here he comes!!

https://youtu.be/MS0QsXZjoFo

Last spring we had a problem with coyotes killing our goats.  In this video David is at the goat barn using an infrared night-vision scope looking for coyotes.  He sees a pair of eyes (the smaller “light” just to the left of the target and in the lighter shaded grass) about 200 yards out in the pasture and thinks it is a coyote until it begins to float around in the air, then flies right towards him and lands on an electric line just above him.  It was a Great Horned Owl!  At about 2′ tall, very impressive.

Did you know . . .

  • The oldest known wild Great Horned Owl was 28, but one in the San Francisco Zoo was 50 in 2012?
  • Females are larger than the males?
  • Have a wingspan of 3.3′ to 4.5′?
  • They live from the Arctic to South America?
  • They are monogamous birds?
  • When they are “hooting” they are claiming their territory?

A pair of Great Horned Owls nests in a tree near our son’s home.

One of our granddaughters sleeps upstairs, and many nights she goes downstairs as the Great Horned Owls are “hoot hooting” at each other.  Guests sitting out at dusk and in the evening have loved hearing them call to one another.

Often when I am giving guests a tour late in the evening, we will flush a Great Horned Owl out of the trees in front of Rocky Overlook.  One flew out over the pasture this week right at dusk.  They are majestic as they silently glide down towards the river bottom.

While giving a family a tour at dusk, we flushed a great Horned Owl out of a tree near the drive.  As we came back up the bluff after the tour, the mom spotted him sitting near the top of a tree watching us as we passed below.

Can you can spot him in the photo.  Hint:  He is about 1/3 down from the top of the tree just to the left of center.  Look for his silhouette.

Great Horned Owl Scurlock Farms
Hidden Great Horned Owl at Scurlock Farms

List of Common Birds of Williamson County

* marks birds seen on Scurlock Farms

  1. Bittern, American
  2. Bittern, Least
  3. Blackbird, Brewer’s
  4. Blackbird, Red-Winged *
  5. Blackbird, Yellow-headed
  6. Bluebird, Eastern *
  7. Bluejay *
  8. Bobwhite, Northern *
  9. Bufflehead
  10. Bunting, Indigo *
  11. Bunting, Painted * (male has been seen several years, hundreds of females seen each year)
  12. Canvasback
  13. Caracara, Crested * (Mexican Eagle)
  14. Cardinal, Northern *
  15. Cattle Egret *
  16. Chat, Yellow-breasted
  17. Chickadee, Carolina *
  18. Coot, American *
  19. Cormorant, Double-crested * (this is the bird that my dad called a Water Turkey) *
  20. Cowbird, Brown-headed *
  21. Crane, Sandhill * Seen and heard flying over many times during migration
  22. Creeper, Brown *
  23. Crow, American *
  24. Cuckoo, Yellow-billed *
  25. Dickcissel (looks like a miniature Eastern Meadowlark – sings beautifully and often)*
  26. Dove, Eurasian Collared *
  27. Dove, Inca *
  28. Dove, Mourning *
  29. Dove, Rock (AKA Feral Pigeon) *
  30. Dove, White-winged *
  31. Duck, Ruddy
  32. Duck, Mottled *
  33. Egret, Great *
  34. Egret, Snowy *
  35. Finch, House *
  36. Finch, Purple *
  37. Flicker, Northern *
  38. Flycatcher, Scissor-tailed *
  39. Gadwall *
  40. Gnatcatcher, Blue-gray (we saw 3 of them today) *
  41. Goldfinch, American *
  42. Goldfinch, Lesser *
  43. Goose, Canada *
  44. Goose, Greater White-fronted*
  45. Goose, Snow *
  46. Grackle, Common *
  47. Grackle, Great-tailed *
  48. Grebe, Pied-billed *
  49. Grosbeak, Blue
  50. Gull, Laughing *
  51. Gull, Ring-billed *
  52. Harrier, Northern
  53. Hawk, Common Night *
  54. Hawk, Cooper’s *
  55. Hawk, Red-shouldered *
  56. Hawk, Red-tailed *
  57. Hawk, Sharp-shinned *
  58. Hawk, White-tailed *
  59. Heron, Black-crowned Night
  60. Heron, Great Blue *
  61. Heron, Green *
  62. Heron, Little Blue
  63. Hummingbird, Black-chinned *
  64. Hummingbird, Ruby-throated *
  65. Junco, Dark-eyed *
  66. Kestrel, American *
  67. Kildeer *
  68. Kingbird, Eastern *
  69. Kingbird, Western
  70. Kingfisher, Belted *
  71. Kinglet, Ruby-crowned *
  72. Kite, Mississippi
  73. Lark, Horned
  74. Mallard *
  75. Martin, Purple *
  76. Meadowlark, Eastern *
  77. Merganser, Red-breasted
  78. Merlin
  79. Mockingbird, Northern *
  80. Nuthatch, Red-breasted
  81. Nuthatch, White Breasted *
  82. Oriole, Baltimore *
  83. Oriole, Orchard
  84. Owl, Barn *
  85. Owl, Burrowing (Seen near Scurlock Farms)
  86. Owl, Eastern Screech *
  87. Owl, Great Horned *   (nesting near The Studio)
  88. Pelican, American White *
  89. Pigeon *
  90. Phoebe, Eastern *
  91. Pintail, Northern *
  92. Pipit, American (we saw several dozen today) *
  93. Redhead
  94. Roadrunner, Greater *
  95. Robin, American *
  96. Sandpiper, Least *
  97. Sandpiper, Spotted
  98. Sapsucker, Yellow-bellied *
  99. Scaup, Lesser
  100. Shoveler, Northern *
  101. Shrike, Loggerhead (the bird that Daddy called the Butcher Bird) *
  102. Siskin, Pine
  103. Snipe, Wilson’s
  104. Sparrow, Chipping *
  105. Sparrow, Grasshopper
  106. Sparrow, Harris’
  107. Sparrow, House *
  108. Sparrow, Lark *
  109. Sparrow, Lincoln’s *
  110. Sparrow, Savannah *
  111. Sparrow, Song *
  112. Sparrow, Swamp
  113. Sparrow, Vesper (very common there in winter) *
  114. Sparrow, White-crowned *
  115. Sparrow, White-throated
  116. Starling, European *
  117. Swallow, Barn *
  118. Swallow, Cliff (These are the swallows that nest on overpasses in mud nests) *
  119. Swift, Chimney *
  120. Tanager, Summer *
  121. Teal, Blue-winged *
  122. Teal, Green-winged
  123. Tern, Forster’s
  124. Thrasher, Brown
  125. Thrush, Hermit
  126. Titmouse, Tufted *
  127. Towhee, Spotted *
  128. Turkey, Wild *
  129. Vulture, Black *
  130. Vulture, Turkey *
  131. Warbler, Black and White *
  132. Warbler, Prothonotary *
  133. Warbler, Yellow-rumped *
  134. Waxwing, Cedar *
  135. Whip-poor-will *
  136. Wigeon, American *
  137. Woodpecker, Downy *
  138. Woodpecker, Harry *
  139. Woodpecker, Ladder Backed *
  140. Woodpecker, Pileated *
  141. Woodpecker, Red-Bellied *
  142. Woodpecker, Red-headed *
  143. Wren, Bewick’s *
  144. Wren, Carolina *
  145. Wren, House*
  146. Yellowlegs, Greater *
  147. Yellowlegs, Lesser
  148. Yellow-throat, Common

Hits: 22

Filed Under: Around the Farm, Day Trips, Farm Fauna, Uncategorized Tagged With: bird watchers, bird watching, Birds Williamson County, flycatcher, Great Horned Owl, Mockingbird, Scissortail

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Scurlock Buzz

Amy and Rich
Feb 15, 2021
 by Amy and Rich on Scurlock Farms
Peaceful Palette Pad Bliss

We were looking for a getaway that wasn't a two to three hour trip away from Round Rock. We found Scurlock Farms and decided to book our trip through Air BnB. Sheron called us that day and let us know that they had their own website where we could have booked for a lot cheaper. I canceled and booked directly through her! She saved us almost $100 (that's true customer service). We arrived at the beautiful Palette Pad, and made ourselves at home. It was very cozy and we lit a fire in the fireplace to enjoy the ambiance as we read up on the history of the house. Sheron called and came down to bring us some necessities (coffee and matches) , she gave us a rundown of the entire place and gave us tips for finding arrowheads (which we actually found one!). The San Gabriel is a short walk through the pecan orchard and it was incredibly peaceful to sit and watch the river go by. Scurlock Farms also has a small roadside stand where the sell delectable chocolate covered pecans, jams and salsas. They had run out of fresh eggs, but Sheron said she would grab what the chickens had laid and brought them by the Palette Pad. I can't not say enough about the wonderful hospitality of the Scurlock's and how beautiful the farm is just 30 min outside of town. I would absolutely stay here again and plan on it in the near future!

 02/07/2021 07:35

Featured in SOUTH

Scurlock Farms was one of six farm and ranch stay venues from the Southwest that were chosen to be featured in SOUTH | Summer 2017! » View us on page 62 here.

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